Blind
by override7400
Summary: Zoro is blinded in an attack and decides to leave the ship. however, someone gets to him before he can leave! T for mild language.  It is Zoro. Some ZoroxRobin. I don't know how long it will be between updates. Please review!
1. Bandages

_How could one day go so wrong?_ Zoro wondered to himself. First, he fell out of bed, giving himself a nasty bruise. Then, Sanji had insisted on picking fights with him. Now, he was in the middle of what was possibly the most dangerous battle of his life. And to top things off, he was alone. He growled as he swung his swords to block two incoming blades. It had started out as just a few guys trying to rob him. Zoro naturally defended himself. But these guys were stronger than they appeared. He shook his head to remind himself that he was fighting as he had to nimbly leap out of the way of a large broadsword swung at his legs. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the glimmer of the sun on metal. He ducked and brought his swords up, but to no avail. He felt blood pouring down his cheeks as his vision swam. He gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to focus. But before he could gather himself, one of his mysterious enemies had come up behind him with a large hammer. He could tell what was coming and braced himself. But the pain never came. He turned his head, and through the fog that was developing in front of his eyes he was able to see Luffy and the rest of the Strawhats taking down his foes. He managed to give them a cocky grin before he passed out.

He woke up what felt like much later. He figured there was a good chance that it was nighttime, given that he was unable to see anything. There was also a weird sort of pinching feeling on the side of his head, but he dismissed it as he felt the knot of his bandanna. He stretched for a moment, but realized he was incredibly sore. He got up, slowly, and felt his way around the room. Yes, this was definitely the infirmary. He was surprised when a large pair of hands grabbed his shoulder. "Chopper? What are you doing up so late?"

He felt Chopper tense up when he asked the question, which seemed odd. "Um, Zoro, you-"

"ZORO!"

Chopper was interrupted by the energetic cry of his captain, who realized Zoro was awake. "Luffy, leave him alone."

There was Robin. _Is everyone up?_ He wondered vaguely. His thought was answered by hearing Sanji swooning over Nami and Robin while Usopp bragged to Luffy. Zoro was getting a headache from all the noise. Soon, he decided enough was enough. "EVERYONE GET THE HELL OUT!"

He shouted above the crowd. The crew became dead silent. "Go get some sleep." He added, walking over to the infirmary cot and wondering why they were all up in the first place.

Everyone was silent for a few more moments. Luffy finally broke the silence. "Why would we sleep now? It's 3:00 in the afternoon."

Zoro froze at his words. "What?" He heard Chopper take a deep breath.

"That's what I was trying to tell you before everyone busted in. Zoro… You were blinded during the fight."

Zoro almost fell over at the words. He might have, even, if it weren't for Robin's 'extra' arms. _Blinded…? No. No way. _Chopper gently shooed everyone out of the room, feeling Zoro might need some time to process this newest development. Zoro sat down, and realized he was shaking. As he willed his hands to steady themselves, he reached up to feel the fabric on his head again. That knot didn't belong to his bandanna. It belonged to a set of bandages wrapping around his head. He leaned heavily against the wall and sighed. "I'm not used to fighting blind. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He said, louder than he intended.

"How am I supposed to know?" came a familiar voice.

"Stupid dart-brow!" Zoro yelled at the cook. "Chopper told you to leave!"

Sanji rolled his visible eye at Zoro. "Yeah, and you _always_ follow his instructions, stupid marimo." Zoro growled in the back of his throat. "If I could see, you'd be on the ground begging for mercy by now." He swore he could hear Sanji smirk at him. "Yeah, yeah. Get some sleep, stupid." He heard the slight click of Sanji's heels on the wooden floor as he left the room, closing the door behind him.


	2. Lost already?

Sanji sat in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes from dinner. It had been a fairly normal dinner, with one exception. Zoro wasn't there. The swordsman had to have his food in the infirmary, doctor's orders. Supposedly, he wasn't healed enough to walk around yet. Which is one reason that Sanji almost dropped the plate he was washing when Zoro appeared right next to him. "Oi! Marimo!" Sanji yelled, taken off-guard by his sudden appearance.

Zoro's face was blank for a few moments before he realized what had happened. "Oh. I ended up in the kitchen?"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Yes, idiot. You're in the kitchen. Where did you think you were?"

"My training room."

"Idiot! That's on the other side of the ship! Has that injury made your sense of direction even crappier? "

Zoro's hand twitched. "SHUT UP, DAMN COOK!"

"IDIOT MARIMO!"

The noise soon brought people, among which was Chopper. Changed into heavy point, he picked up Zoro, who let off a string of curses in response, and took him back to the infirmary, setting the struggling marimo into the cot. "Zoro, please. You need time to heal."

Zoro just sighed, which surprised Chopper. Usually, he would be arguing about how he was fine, and didn't need any more time here. He decided to not push his luck, however, and moved towards the doorway.

"Chopper."

Zoro's voice was soft. Never a good sign. "Is there…" He began, hesitantly. "Is there any chance that I'll get my sight back?"

Chopper had been hoping to avoid this. "Yes. There is." Seeing the hope on the injured man's face, he quickly added "But I'll have to warn you, it's unlikely." He didn't want Zoro's hopes too high on that matter.

Zoro sighed again. "So basically, you're saying I ought to get used to this?"

Chopper simply replied "Yes," Before he walked out the door.

Zoro gave a huff of frustration and fell back on his pillow. He certainly didn't want to be stuck here. Although he began to wonder… Could he be a swordsman when he was blind? He scoffed at himself. The idea was ridiculous! But… What else could he do? A swordsman was who he was. His swords were a part of him, who he was… and now it was all gone. He gripped the sheets tightly as he willed himself to not think about that, but his mind continued, unbidden. He was useless now. Would his nakama still want him on board even if he was useless? He chuckled to himself derisively. No, that was a stupid thought. Of course they'd want him. But whether he_ could _stay or not… That was another matter. Zoro steeled his resolve. Next island, he'd find a way to get himself off ship. And then he'd just try to… get lost. As much as he hated to admit it, it was something he never had much trouble with. Blinded… it should be even less of an issue. He laid back in his cot and laughed hopelessly until he passed out from exhaustion.


	3. A simple joke

Something was wrong. Robin was somewhat surprised that she seemed to be the only one who realized it. Certainly, Zoro never spoke much, but recently it had become a miracle if he spoke to anyone. He rarely left the infirmary either, which she discovered Chopper had noticed. However, when questioned, the young reindeer simply attributed it to the blindness, saying that Zoro probably just didn't want to get lost. Robin could tell there was more to it. He had a sort of haunted look on his face, as if he knew something terrible that he couldn't share. By now, though, she knew better than to ask him about it. He'd either get pissed off or he would just refuse to say anything. No, it was better to just leave him to his thoughts. If it was important, he would tell them.

Her musing was interrupted by Nami and Usopp yelling that they had spotted the next island. Followed, of course, by most of the other members of the crew joining in. Robin smiled. It was entertaining how excited they got when faced with possible danger. Her smile became broader when Zoro appeared from the depths of the Going Merry, running his hand along the familiar contours of the ship to find his way. Robin gave a mischievous chuckle and summoned her power to create an arm near his location, reaching out to take his hand.

Zoro was taken fully by surprise. He had been learning to locate people by listening closely, and he wasn't too bad, he thought. But there was a hand there that brushed his. He listened closely. No, there was nobody there. Then it dawned on him. "Robin, stop screwing with me." He groaned.

Robin laughed quietly. "I was simply going to help you to your location, Swordsman-San."

"I don't need you."

"Is that so?"

Before he was able to respond, he felt the hand that had lightly brushed his earlier grab onto him tightly before sending him tumbling backwards onto more hands. There was a dizzying sensation as they spun him around and around, leaving him completely disoriented. "Dammit woman! I knew where I was going!" He felt his temper rising as he heard her soft chuckle. He growled softly.

Robin watched him as he retreated back into the infirmary. She knew she shouldn't have been so happy at the swordsman's distress, but she couldn't help herself. To hear him conversing more-or-less normally instead of staying silent was refreshing. Soon, she found herself celebrating with the rest of the crew, and sent Sanji to fetch her a cup of coffee. She smiled gently as she looked at the mysterious island in front of them. What adventures would await them there?

Yes, this could be interesting.


	4. Who goes where?

The crew of the Going Merry docked about three hours later. They left Zoro in the infirmary as they grouped on the deck to decide on a plan of action. It was fairly simple. Sanji and Chopper would shop for food and medicine, Luffy would accompany Nami to do whatever she was going to do, Usopp would guard the ship, and Robin volunteered to assist Zoro, since he would not be happy if he got left on board. Chopper went to the lower level of the ship to grab the swordsman and apprise him of the plan. But instead of a swordsman coming up, the crew heard a squeal from their small doctor. Exchanging quick glances, they rushed down to see what had frightened the reindeer. They figured it out fairly quickly. Sheets were strewn around the room and several bottles were smashed. Sanji groaned. "Way to make a scene, Marimo."

Nami gasped. "Do you think someone snuck in while we weren't looking and kidnapped him?"

Chopper shook his head. "Even blinded, I doubt Zoro would get taken that easi-"

"THEN WHERE IS HE?"

Everyone jumped at the sound of the captain's voice. He was angry. It was evident that he wanted to know what happened _now_. Sanji sighed, seeing where this was going. "Luffy, if he didn't get caught, he must have-"

"NO!" Luffy cried, seeing where Sanji was going with this, "ZORO WOULDN'T DO THAT!"

Robin placed her hand on Luffy's shoulder. "It seems to me that we need to go find him, one way or another." She said soothingly. "So should we not begin?"

Luffy ran out towards the dock and almost got off before Robin stopped him with an extra pair of hands. "In case he was kidnapped, we ought to pair up."

Sanji nodded lovingly. "Robin-chwan is so smart!" He cooed.

"We don't know what condition Zoro is in, physically or mentally. So be careful. Luffy, you should team up with Nami. Sanji, you will be with me. Chopper, you and Usopp will stay here."

Luffy and Nami nodded and ran off to the island. Sanji squealed as she announced that she was his partner. Usopp and Chopper seemed glad that they were to stay behind. Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke. "Shall we be off, Robin-chan?"

Robin smiled gently. "One moment, Cook-san."

Robin walked into Zoro's room and picked up the swords laying against the wall. Sanji looked mildly surprised when she walked out with them. "If Zoro wasn't kidnapped, then he must have had a reason to leave. It isn't my place to say he has to stay, but I can give him these."

Sanji looked thoughtful. "I guess. It'd be too quiet without him, though."

"Then let us go and find him."

The pair left the ship.


	5. I swear it was Zoro

"Did you see that?"

"What?"

"I thought I saw... Never mind, it was just a mossy rock..."

Nami sighed and rubbed her forehead. They were getting nowhere. It felt as if they had scoured the entire island, and Zoro was still nowhere to be found. She lightly tapped a passerby on the shoulder. "Have you seen a green-haired blind man around?"

The man shook his head and rushed on. After a few more attempts with the same results, she realized that the entire island seemed sort of... nervous. They never spoke to the two Straw-hats, and always rushed along. Luffy wasn't helping. His mood hadn't improved since discovering that Zoro was gone. Several times, Nami had to hold him back before he attacked someone. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when a sizable stone whacked her in the back of the head. She whipped around to see a small boy, no older than eight, readying another projectile. However, before he could throw it, a woman that appeared to be his mother shooed him off. On his way, the boy yelled at the two of them. "Pirates have no place here, not anymore! If your friend was here, he probably won't be for long!"

The woman hushed him, looking fearful of the two pirates, who simply looked baffled. Nami and Luffy looked at each other, neither wanting to ask what the boy meant by his statement. But there was unspoken agreement that the search became that much more urgent. The two of them took off down the dusty streets, neither daring to look back. "I hope you've found something, Sanji and Robin!" Nami muttered quietly.

On the other side of the island, the archeologist and the cook weren't faring much better. They hadn't managed to get anything out of the locals either, and Robin had to stop Sanji from beginning a murderous rampage several times after different townspeople would insult them,. Or, more specifically, when they would insult her. They had also been forced to follow a thief that had taken one of Zoro's swords from her. Needless to say, he decided to give them back after he had a pair of hands sprout from his arms. Robin kept a closer eye on the swords ofter that.

Several hours later, they had stopped for the night. As much as they hated to admit it, they were somewhat lost and couldn't make it back to the ship before nightfall. In order to avoid thieves and other manner of criminals, they had decided make camp in the forest. "Robin-chaaaan!" Sanji sung out. "Dinner is served!"

Even in the forest, over a campfire, Sanji's cooking was incredible. But Robin felt that it wasn't quite... _right_. A dinner made by Sanji needed people. It needed her nakama. It needed a Luffy for her to defend her food from. It needed an Usopp, to tell stories of his prowess. It needed a Nami to keep things manageable. It needed a Zoro, who would sit there and smile at his crew's antics until either he or Sanji managed to rile the other up enough to fight. This is why, after dinner, she stood up and walked out of the clearing that they had decided on as a campsite. "Robin-chaaan? Where are you going?"

She turned and smiled at Sanji, who swooned. "I'm simply going to go for a walk, cook-san." Before he could respond, she added "You know I can take care of myself."

Sanji nodded, understanding. "Be back soon, Robin-chaaan!" He cried.

She left without another word.


	6. Crazy lady

When Zoro woke up, he was confused for a moment. He wasn't on the Going Merry, that much was certain. His head was spinning as well, which tended to be rather disorienting when you were blind. He adjusted his uncomfortable position for something a little less so, and discovered his body felt somewhat numb. The clink of cuffs on his wrists reminded him of what had happened. He heard the soft breathing of another person in the vicinity, most likely a guard. He moved his feet experimentally. They were bound, but separately, thus allowing him to stand. Leaning against the wall for support, he heaved himself to his feet, and it only worsened his already sour mood to find that his legs were shaking. _My captors must've drugged me. _He realized. With that thought, he decided it was time for a bit of "conversation". "Hey. You there." The guard let out a squeak as Zoro called to him. "Where the hell am I?"

The guard hesitated and stuttered a bit, obviously thrown off by the fact that Zoro knew he was there. "Y-y-you're in t-t-the..."

Zoro growled. Patience in these matters was not his strong suit. "Well?"

"Y-y-y-..."

"Whatever." Zoro snarled.

He didn't feel like dealing with spineless idiots right now. He sat back down against the hard stone wall and just relaxed, recalling the events from earlier.

::::

Zoro had been in the middle of a very nice nap when Luffy's cry of arrival came. He knew the drill. They would meet up on the deck, split into teams of two or three, and go out to shore for the day. Given the captain's attention span, this tended to take well over a half-hour. He smiled sorrowfully. "Sorry, guys... Guess I'll be seeing you." With that, he stood up and began to walk towards the door, dropping the sheets on the floor. However, before he made it to the door he felt a presence. Instinctively, he put a hand to where his katana should have been, but given that Chopper wouldn't let him anywhere near them, he only felt his haramaki. He cursed quietly. Then, he felt a breeze, which instantly set him on alert, since the infirmary was under the deck and therefore should not have had any kind of breeze.

"Roronoa Zoro."

He heard a voice, playful and feminine, whisper in his ear.

"Roronoa Zoro, you are coming with me."

A hand touched his shoulder, but before he could cry out, he felt a slight prick come from the location of the hand. After that, his memory became fuzzy. There was the woman giggling, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of being picked up, almost as if he were being lifted by the wind...

::::

He sighed and set his head back against the wall. Nothing about the woman's voice told him anything about her. He mentally smacked himself for not even trying to fight back. His mental processes were interrupted as he heard the distinct click of high heels on the stone floor.

"Roronoa Zoro!" She sang out. "I have Roronoa Zoro!" Then she giggled again. It was really an unnerving sound; it was the kind of laugh that meant "I'm in a good mood now, but I can change that quickly!" It was nothing like the laughs he liked to hear, like Luffy's, or Robin's. _Wait, Robin's? Why the hell did I think of _Robin's _laugh? _He sent the question to the back of his head for now, though, as he had more important matters to worry about. For instance, where he was. He voiced this question aloud, and was just greeted by more of that infuriating giggle. He felt a smooth hand on his face as she pulled his presumably closer to her's. Her next words were quiet, almost teasing. "You're here, of course. With me." She let go of him and he heard more clacking of heels on the floor. She was pacing. "I save pirates. I help them become better!" She told him, ridiculously upbeat. "I made this whole island pirate-less! I saved them all! And whenever new pirates land, I make them better too!"

His captor then proceeded to skip out of the room, laughing.

Zoro just stared blankly.

"What the hell was that about?"


	7. It's time to start

The next day began much the same. The woman walked down the stairs, somehow managing to wake Zoro up with the clacking of her heels. He heard his cell being opened and his captor walked in. "Come on, Roronoa. Wake up!" She commanded lightly, as he had not yet moved.

When he growled sleepily in response, she just giggled again. He was really starting to hate that noise. There was a slight click as he was detached from the wall. He raised an eyebrow at this. "Letting me go?"

Zoro decided she was amused by that, judging by the giggly tone her voice took on. "No way! I'm just going to begin your healing. So," She continued on as a light metal collar was slipped around his neck. "You are going to come with me."

Zoro wasn't about to go without a fight. "The hell? Where are you taking me?"

"Oh, don't worry. It's just time to begin your healing. We're going to spend all day together upstairs."

She pulled lightly on the collar, bidding him to follow her. He resisted for a few moments, but then she got closer, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't want to do this." She told him. It sounded like the woman was pouting. He felt a familiar prick in his shoulder, and then he collapsed, nearly unconscious, just awake enough to hear her claim, "Oh well, at least you'll be awake by the end..."

::::

On the outskirts of town, Sanji and Robin had finally returned to the Going Merry. Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Usopp were there waiting. Nami nodded hopefully in their direction. There was a general feeling of worry and despair in the air, which was slightly alleviated by their arrivals. "Sanji, Robin, did you find anything?"

Sanji shook his head. "Nothing but an angry mob."

Robin, however, gave an enigmatic smile. "I may have found some information that could be useful. And, it could prove that Zoro was kidnapped."

The whole crew, especially Luffy, was instantly on her for details. "I went for a walk last night, and I came across an old mansion on the hill in the south end of town. As I looked at it, an older lady appeared and we began to talk. She told me an interesting story that may help us."

"What was it?"

"Tell us the story!"

"Is it scary?"

Everyone was yelling at once, so Robin waved her hands slightly, trying to calm them. Once they had done so, she sat them down. "It's a rather long tale..."

::::

Soon after, the crew found themselves at the hillside mansion. Everyone was on edge. Anyone strong enough to take Zoro without their notice was going to be a challenging opponent. The building itself was very impressive, elaborate and Gothic in design. Nami knocked on the door, leery about what might come out of it. They waited for several minutes before a tiny, scarred man opened the door. He had an almost blank look in his eyes. "Welcome." His voice was almost maniacal, but sounded like someone had tried to make it sound refined. His clothes were fancy, looking out of place with his unruly appearance. "You are expected! Come in, come in..." His speech turned to crazed laughter. Everyone, Usopp and Nami especially, looked at him warily, but they entered into a long hallway.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

The entire crew jumped as a high-pitched voice rang out. At the end of the hall, there was a woman with bright green-blue hair held in ponytails with bright blue ribbons. She was dressed in a long, frilly, blue-and-black dress, and wore high heels, also blue. She looked at them, careful and calculating. After what seemed to be an eternity, she smiled. "You would be the Straw-hat crew, if I'm not mistaken."

Luffy nodded. "Yup. I'm Luffy."

Nami whacked him. "You don't TELL her that!"

"But she already knew!" The rubber boy whined in response.

"I'M SANJI!" Said cook was noodling his way over to the mysterious woman.

Nami sighed. There was one lost cause.

The woman giggled. Usopp and Chopper ducked behind Nami. "You're entertaining. Please, come have lunch with me."

"FOOOOD?"

Nami mentally face-palmed. There was another one. Luffy was over with Sanji now, drooling at the thought of food. Sanji had already offered to cook for her. She was still giggling over the two boys. For some reason, she didn't trust that laugh. It felt like a mask to her. She fingered her clima-tact for security. Nami was jolted out of her thoughts as their mysterious host introduced herself. "My name is Aira. I hope that you have fun here." She looked at them each in turn as she continued. "You can explore this mansion as you like, just stay away from the top floor of the building. All the rooms are open to you."

"Neh, what's on the top floor?" Luffy tilted his head curiously.

"It was my late father's room. It is preferred that his room is left alone by guests." The woman told them quietly.

"I see." Robin interrupted. "Cook-san, I believe that I shall take our host up on her offer of exploration. Could you come to find me when lunch is prepared?"

"Of course Robin-chwaan!"

"Nami, would you like to join me?" She offered, a gleam in her eyes telling Nami she may have found something.

"Sure, I don't see why not. USOPP!" She yelled.

Usopp squealed. "Wh-what?"

Nami gestured at Luffy, who was currently playing with a spider he had found. Normally, Nami would have put Sanji on Luffy-watch. However, said cook was currently too busy freaking out about said spider to worry about either Luffy or the fact that said spider was probably poisonous.

"You're on Luffy duty. And make sure that he does NOT keep any spiders this time."

Usopp saluted, then pulled out his slingshot. The spider soon was no more.

Nami nodded. "Let's go, Robin. They're in good hands for the moment."

None of the Straw-hats noticed that their host had vanished into thin air.


	8. Disturbing discoveries

"Robin, I think we may have pegged that girl wrong. She doesn't seem crazy."

Robin shook her head. "No, we can be fairly certain she was the one in the story. She fits all of the parameters." She pondered for a few moments. "But I do not believe that we have the _whole_ story."

Nami thought about it. "I guess so." She finally replied, still doubtful.

The two had been wandering for a while. For some reason or another, the two ended up heading to the lower levels of the building. "Nice dungeon." Nami commented smoothly. "It looks like it hasn't been used in a long time." She concluded after swiping a layer of dust off of a pair of unused handcuffs. The two explorers looked into the cells. It looked basically like a cheap version of a marine cell. They had the same design, but these were made without kairoseki. There was quite a lot of dried blood on the floors. "I would guess that most of that blood is fairly old, but I can't be certain." Robin mused out loud. Nami shivered. "I wonder what these cells were used for. It doesn't seem like that much blood would come from just holding prisoners-" She bumped into Robin, who had stopped. She was looking at the last cell in the room. "I can't be certain," Robin began, "But the blood in this cell looks much fresher than the other cells.

Nami's mouth fell open. "Really? So... They _are_ still using these cells? What for?"

"Remember the story?" Robin pointed out.

Nami stopped gaping and recalled the tale.

::::

_"Many years ago, on this very island, in the mansion on the hill, there lived a wealthy young man and his wife. They also had a small, green-haired daughter. Her parents would dress her up in frills and ribbons. She, along with her parents, was very popular. The man was a part of the island's Guard Force. One day, there came a pirate named Captain Kyro. He was a vicious man, and he was known to never leave survivors when he attacked. Now, this island was well known for its hospitality, even to pirates. Pirates would often stop here and stock up. However, Captain Kyro had the intent of completely taking over the island. The Guard Force came to stop him, of course. However, though he fought bravely, the girl's father was killed, along with the rest of the Guard Force. When the pirates made their way to the mansion, the mother died protecting her daughter. Once he entered the mansion, though, Captain Kyro was never seen again. Since then, no one has seen the daughter out in the streets, though she is seen in the windows of the building. Also, any pirates that have docked here since that day have mysteriously disappeared. Sometimes, screams are heard from the mansion. Anyone who associates with them disappears as well. That is why no-one will speak to pirates, for fear of vanishing, never to be seen again..."_

::::

Nami nodded again. Their host did fit. "So, what are we going to do now? If we stay here, who knows what she might do to us!"

Robin nodded. "But, on the other hand, we still need to find Swordsman-san."

"Yeah. He still owes me."

"That wasn't quite what I was thinking, but that works as well."

"ROBIN-CHAAAN! NAMI-SAAAN!"

Robin smiled. "I think we should get to lunch, Navigator-san."

::::

Lunch came and went quickly. Despite watching her every move, Aira seemed perfectly normal. Nami began to wonder about whether she was the cause of Zoro's disappearance. It seemed doubtful that someone like her could force Zoro anywhere he didn't want to be. But then again, there was the matter of her servants. They were not the most pampered-looking of people. Many were scarred or unruly. If Nami hadn't known better, she would have claimed they _were_ pirates. Suddenly, she realized her captain was poking her. "Neeeehhh... Nami! Can we stay here tonight? Ai has good food!" The host smiled at the captain's use of an incorrect name for her. "Please, it would be my honor to have good pirates like the Straw Hat Pirates in this house." She supplied. Nami glanced at Robin, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "Sure, why not." Nami answered. "The Log Pose won't be set for another day or so anyways." Aira tilted her head and giggled. "Thank you!" She stood up and moved towards the stairway. "Please, come with me. I'll show you to your rooms."

::::

Zoro didn't know how long it had been since she knocked him out. One thing was certain, though. His head was killing him. He took a moment to take in what he could of his surroundings. He was laying down on some sort of bed. It was the overly fluffy kind, too. He was handcuffed to the bedposts and his legs were tied so he couldn't walk. He flinched when a slender hand touched his shoulder. "Ah! Zoro is awake!" The high-pitched voice he had come to hate rang in his ears.

"Oi, lady, I don't know what you're planning, but I will get out of here." He growled, struggling against the bonds that held him. "I guarantee it."

She laughed at that. "Oh, Roronoa Zoro, you're so funny!"

This was really beginning to piss him off. Before he was able to say as much, there was a familiar prick in his shoulder. "Oh, shi-"

His captor slapped him. "Don't curse in the presence of a lady." She scolded. "Now, to finish..."

Suddenly, his shoulder began to ache where she had poked him. It soon escalated into pain that would have caused a normal person to faint. Zoro's eyes went wide behind the bandages covering them. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming. _Dammit, that really hurts! _He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. It was unrelenting. After what felt like an eternity, it finally stopped. He gasped at the sudden disappearance of the pain. "What..." he gasped, trying to catch his breath, "What the hell... did you just do to me?"

"That was the beginning of your healing."

Zoro heard her putting some kind of a liquid into a glass container. "That sure didn't feel like 'healing'!". He snarled, officially pissed off.

She giggled. It wasn't her normal, cheerful laugh. This time, it felt... insane. It was kind of creepy, though he'd never admit it. "Oh, it was healing. Don't you feel better at all?"

Zoro concentrated on his body. Nope, it still felt the same. There was only one thing to do. "Screw you, lady. I'm taking a nap."

She laughed again, but it was back to the cheerful, annoying one.

"Good luck."

Not bothering to worry about her words, he closed his eyes and zoned out, like he would on the ship. Interestingly enough, however, he couldn't seem to nod off. He adjusted his position slightly. Something wasn't right here. Finally, he gave up and just laid there. "Having trouble sleeping?" The woman's ridiculously high-pitched voice rang through the room.

Zoro had to fight to keep his temper under control. "What. Did. You. Do." He hissed, resisting the urge to try and break free. He could tell by the feel of the iron that it would be a wasted effort.

"I healed one part of you. If I healed you totally all at once, you'd die." She told the growling marimo. "Just wait. I'll make you better. I promise!"

"Like hell you will." Zoro muttered under his breath.

_ Luffy, where the hell are you?_

::::00::::

A/N:

Hi there! I thought I'd add a few notes. First off, thanks to my reviewers! More reviews=Faster chapter! Second, I'm working on a picture of Aira. It will be posted to my dA account when it's done. There's a link to my account in my profile.

I might be working on a new story or two in the near future, but I'll try to keep updating this story too.

Thanks!

~Jello


	9. Hunger

After the 'healing' had ended, Zoro was forced back down to the lower level. He was somewhat thankful for that; it meant that he would be left alone for the rest of the day. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't had any food in over a day. As if she had read his mind, she mentioned that he would get food once he was secured in the dungeon. Once he heard the click of locks on his arms, he began to try and figure out why he couldn't seem to sleep. He sighed. His body felt completely normal. He decided to just sit back and wait for food.

::::

After showing the Straw Hats to their rooms, Aira walked into the kitchen. The cooks were preparing a basic meal for Zoro. She handed a small glass vial to the nearest cook. It contained a dark red liquid. "Add half of this to his meal." She instructed them. "I don't care how you use it." The servants saluted. Aira smiled. "Also, I believe that I shall feed it to him personally. Call me when his meal is complete."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Back to work, all of you." She walked out with that, not bothering to see if they obeyed.

::::

The Straw Hats converged in the main room later. Nami smiled. "So, who's up for some time in the dungeon?"

Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "Don't we usually want to stay _out_ of dungeons?"

Nami sighed. "Yes, but there might be clues there about where Zoro is."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Luffy jumped up.

"For once, I agree. Let's go." Nami told everyone.

::::

Aira took the food down to the prisoner. "Hello, Zoro. I'm glad to see you're feeling well." She smiled.

Her statement was fairly relative. He was covered in cuts and bruises. There was a small hint of a scar behind his bandages. The look on his face was murderous, despite his eyes being unseen. "I have your food. Steak and bread with a spicy sauce. I hope you like it."

The look changed to one of hunger. She placed a bite against his mouth and he took it hungrily, not even caring how much it hurt his pride. It was good. Not as good as Sanji's cooking, of course, but it was good. The last bite came too soon. He sighed happily before remembering where he was and scowling. "I'm glad you like it, Zoro. The sauce was specially made, just for you."

He then realized that his stomach felt a bit upset. He squirmed uncomfortably. "It seems that you're starting to feel it. Afya's blood-lust sauce is rather potent." She told him.

His hands shook slightly. For some reason, he wanted his swords. His mind felt foggy. Something was placed into his hands. He found it was a katana. Not one of his, but it was a sword. His handcuffs were undone. He grinned maniacally. He wasn't sure why, but he had the urge to kill something. He heard the click of his captor's heels on the floor and swung at her, but his sword met with nothing but air. "Good." Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "You're ready. I will see you later."

He could hardly think straight anymore. All he knew was he wanted blood. He heard the arrival of some people. There were people there, and he wanted blood. They unlocked his cell. _Why would they do that?_ He wondered foggily. It didn't matter.

"Ittoryu."

His one sword style. He didn't like using it, but he didn't have any more swords.

"Iai."

Draw and resheath technique. He heard small gasps of suprise. Why would they be surprised?

"Shishi Sonson!"

He swung. There was blood.

::::

The Straw Hats slowly made their way to the dungeon. As they went down the stairs, they heard a slight groan. They recognized it as being Zoro. They sped up their progress considerably. Soon, they were there in front of his cell. There were no guards. "Zoro!" They all yelled. "We're here to get you out!" Luffy exclaimed. Zoro's face was impassive. "Keys, keys, there's gotta be keys... Here's the keys!" He held out the shining metal and unlocked the door for Zoro.

He stood up, slowly. Robin noticed that he held a katana in his hands. There was something wrong with him, but she couldn't tell what. There was a slight difference in his stride, and his smile was anything but natural. He held the katana in an attack stance. "Zoro?" Luffy was uncertain about these actions. This wasn't normal.

"Ittoryu."

The crew's eyes grew wide. Was he attacking them?

"Iai."

He placed the sword by his neck.

"Shishi Sonson!"

There was blood.

::::

"Who do you think will fall first?"

"The stupid-looking long-nose."

"Be polite, Afya. My guess would be the reindeer."

"Maaaaybe... But Roronoa Zoro will win!"

"That goes without saying."

::00::

A/N:

I've decided to try my hand at a reader review corner. Love to all my reviewers!

-Brindy

You must be Horse-LuverBB? Thanks again for the watch! I'm glad you like the story.

Vivi chu-ie

Nami might not be happy to learn there's two Luffys! But thank you very much! Heehee, suspense is my favorite weapon! And you write good reviews! They make me smile. Like this. → :D

-Red Voident Dragon

Hehe, no, she didn't take his ability to nap. It'll be explained more in a later chapter! And she does have a devil fruit power, but not one like Ivankov's. Thanks for all your reviews!

-Tare-chan

Yup, evil plans indeed. The 'therapy' is rather interesting in itself. There'll be more details in later chapters.

Until next time!

~Jello


	10. Set the story straight

Luffy was shocked. He didn't want to believe it, but the wound in his side begged otherwise. It was bleeding pretty badly, but it was nothing life-threatening. A majority of the others were also injured in various ways. Sanji was the worst off, with a nasty gash across his torso. Chopper was fussing over it, so Luffy knew he would be alright. But Zoro was another matter. Something wasn't right with him. Luffy decided to try and capture Zoro and snap him back to how he used to be. "Gomu gomu no..." He wound up his arm. "Pistol!" He shot his arm out. Confusion crossed Zoro's face as his captain's arm wrapped around him.

"Nemuri Boshi!"

Usopp's cry was not unnoticed by the swordsman. However, being unable to see or move meant he was unable to dodge. Robin used her power to create arms around his head, forcing his mouth open. Once the pellet entered his mouth, it was only a short while before Zoro fell asleep, Luffy setting him down as he did. Chopper ran over to him, taking in everything that might have caused Zoro to act as he did. As he went, he bandaged up any new injuries Zoro had sustained. He had just removed the bandages from the blind man's eyes when his examination was cut short. They heard the click of heels on the steps. The conscious pirates turned and mentally prepared themselves for battle, expecting to see Aira. Instead, down came a younger woman, no older than Nami. Her hair was light pink and she wore a similar dress to Aira's, only it was covered in ribbons instead of frills and it was red instead of blue. She pouted at them. "You've ruined it."

Five of the Straw Hats looked at her blankly. Robin just looked on, her face expressionless. The girl in front of them continued as she walked towards Zoro. "He was supposed to kill all of you. Starting with that one." She pointed at Usopp, who hid behind Sanji.

"But, I guess since that doesn't seem to have worked, we'll just have to heal all of you."

She touched Zoro's throat, and he began coughing violently. She placed a small glass vial next to his mouth as he began to cough up a deep red liquid. Once his coughing calmed down, she corked the nearly-full bottle and placed it in a pocket.

"What was that stuff?" Chopper's voice shook. Though very petite, she was somehow intimidating.

"Oh, just a bit of blood-lust." She answered him as though talking about the weather. "I had been hoping for a better show of you all killing each other." She pouted again. "Instead, the stupid long-nose had to go and put Roronoa Zoro to sleep."

"Afya, I told you to be polite."

The Straw Hats spun to see Aira behind them. "H-h-how did sh-she get there?" Usopp stuttered.

There was only one staircase, and no-one had seen her walk past them. She smiled evilly. "Allow me to introduce my sister, Afya." She gestured to the young girl next to her. Afya waved cutely, making Sanji melt despite himself. Aira ignored him and continued. "Now that you have seen her, you will have to die, unfortunately." She sighed. "I had hoped that we could simply enslave you, like we've done for the others in the mansion. However, we can't risk your escape." The crew's eyes grew wide as she seemed to just disappear. "Prepare yourselves."

Suddenly, Luffy, Nami, and Sanji were thrown against the wall from their position near Zoro.

"Afya."

Aira appeared again, holding Sanji against the wall by his neck.

"Zoro is still a possibility. Take him upstairs."

As Afya moved to pick up the sleeping swordsman, Robin crossed her arms. "Ocho Fleur."

Hands sprouted at Afya's feet, pulling her backwards and causing her to fall. Once she was immobilized, Robin used several more hands to move Zoro to her. While she was distracted, however, Afya moved her hand onto Robin's sprouted arm. Robin felt a prick as a special needle pierced the skin, alerting her to Afya's plan. The arms around her vanished. Afya stuck her tongue out at Robin in a rather immature way. She then got up and ran at Robin, who now saw that the girl wore a ring that had a needle extending out if it. It was that needle that had been placed in Robin's arm. She looked at Zoro's neck. There was a small hole where Afya had 'touched' him. There was a good possibility that she had used the needle there as well. As Robin was examining Zoro, he gave a slight groan. His eyes opened, revealing their cloudy, mint green color. Sadness flitted across Robin's face as she recalled the deep, emerald green those same eyes were three days ago. She wasn't able to dwell on it for too long, however, as Afya came at her again.

::::

After a moment, Zoro realized someone was holding onto him. It wasn't a hard grip, unlike the annoying girl he had unfortunately come to know, so he guessed him nakama had come to save him. As he became more alert, he realized a few things. The first thing he realized was that he heard fighting in the background. There were the definite sounds of Luffy's rubbery body dealing some blows, and the occasional explosion as Usopp launched a projectile. He also heard Nami berating Sanji for his uselessness against the girls. _Girls? There was only one._ The second thing that he realized was that his throat hurt like hell. He guessed that the annoying girl had done something new to him. He grunted and moved to stand on his own. He was pleased to find his legs no longer shook. The person who had been holding him spoke, revealing herself to be Robin. "Swordsman-san. Be careful."

Three objects were placed into his hands. He grinned when he realized that she had given him his katana. He slipped the sheaths into his haramaki and drew Wado. "Robin." He said her name quietly. "I'm taking you up on that offer to help me."

Robin smiled. She created an arm next to him and took his hand. "Where do you want to go?"

"About three feet to the right of her."

Robin frowned. "Which one?"

The confusion was evident on his face. "The hell? I thought there was only one... Whatever. Whichever one is closer."

Robin nodded. "I'll create a line. Just hold my arm."

Zoro did so, and at the say-so from Robin he took off, Wado glinting in the dim light. Aira saw him going for Afya, and ran to her sister. To the eyes of the Straw Hat crew, it seemed that she pushed Afya from a long ways away. Her eyes flashed angrily. "Afya! Use your power on the woman's Devil Fruit ability." She told her sister. "Let me enlighten you about our powers." She said, not even dodging as Luffy tried to punch her. Luffy's face showed pure confusion as his fist went through her. "I ate the Kaze Kaze no mi. A logia type. Afya ate the Toru Toru no mi." She continued through multiple efforts of assorted crew members trying to attack her. "Mine allows me to create and manipulate air currents, as well as become air, as all logia types can. Afya is able to take anything she wants from a person, whether it's their money, their power," she grinned evilly. "Or their personality itself. Her blood-lust sauce was taken from one of the numerous pirates that we've tamed."

Nami looked at Robin. _I knew it!_ She yelled mentally. _They_ are _pirates!_

Luffy glanced at Zoro, who was still being led by Robin, then glared at Aira. "So you try to take pirate's freedom?" he yelled, outraged.

Afya answered him. "No. I heal them."

This didn't subdue Luffy. "How does taking who they are _heal_ them?"

"Piracy is an illness. I heal them."

Robin could swear everything stopped. Afya continued, seemingly oblivious. "Our parents were killed by piracy. That's what Nana and Sissy told me. Before Nana died too, she said that piracy was a terrible illness! Sissy helped me learn to use my power to heal piracy."

Usopp was the first person to speak after the long silence that ensued.

"So, you think that piracy is some terrible illness?"

Afya nodded.

Sanji walked over to her and took her hand. "We're not ill."

She looked slightly confused. "But you're pirates!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we're ill. Can't you take any illness straight out of a body?"

Afya thought for a moment before she nodded.

"Then try to take all the illness out of my body." Sanji told her, face deadpan.

"But Sissy said if I do that, you'll die!" Afya gasped.

Sanji grinned at her. "Afya-chan is nice to worry about me, but I doubt I'll die."

Though the doubt was still evident in her face, she obliged him. She placed her needle into his arm and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes a little while later, shocked. "You really aren't sick." Her face was filled with wonder. The wonder changed to anger as she realized the cause of her misunderstanding. "Sissy! You lied to me! All those people..." She cried as the scope of what she'd done filled her head. Sanji hugged her close. He had hoped this wouldn't happen. He never liked seeing girls cry. After a moment, Afya stopped crying and pushed Sanji off of her. She ran over to Aira and hugged her. At least, that was what the Straw Hat crew thought. This thought was proved wrong after Aira began to scream. It was a terrible sound. Everyone flinched away from it, Zoro covering his ears as well. After what felt like an eternity, Aira fell to the ground. A small bottle was in Afya's hand. It was filled with a bright, blue-green liquid. The crew was speechless.

"I took her power." Afya explained. "If you want to kill her, do it."

Luffy looked at the little girl, nothing but sincerity on his face.

"Why would we do that?"

Those five words caused her to burst into tears again. She ran to Sanji and buried her face in his shirt. He did all he could to console her, though he had a rather interesting look on his face, as though he wasn't sure whether he should feel uncomfortable, or ecstatic.

"She seems to like him." Nami noted bemusedly.

Zoro was not quite so amused.

"Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

::00::

A/N:

Oh my god that was a long chapter!

I hope you enjoy it!

Reader Reviews!

-BrindyB

No problem! And voila! Here is more! :D

-Red Voident Dragon

There you go, there's their powers. ;)

I hadn't seen it coming either, for a while. It was one of those cases where the story basically said, "You know what? I'm going to do this and there's nothing you an do about it."

I've just finished with exams and other testing, so hopefully updates will become more common.

-MASSEXPLOSION

Ehhh... No. I'm not _that_ crazy... ^-^;

-Vivi chu-ie

Yay! Smiles! :D

Yes, Zoro would be really upset... Ehehe... You really think that the blood-lust sauce was creative? I kinda thought it was cheesy... But I'm glad someone thinks it's good!

But in other news, REVEAL TIME! I hope it's as good as you hoped. :3


	11. Taking what's gone

Aira came to a while later. She found herself in her room, which seemed unusual, since she knew she had been in the dungeons before. She sat up and went to the door, intending to reprimand her sister on her actions and dispose of the pirates. Her eyes widened in surprise. The door was locked. Her door was never locked! She tried again for good measure. Still, it refused to open. She tried to use her devil fruit power to simply breeze out. Nothing happened. She gave a scream of frustration and sat back down on her bed, looking out of her window. The view from the third floor was beautiful. The sun was bright through the dusty window. She opened it, though it took some effort due to the rusted hinges. The breeze on her face was warm and inviting. She smiled. If she was no longer welcome in this mansion, her home was in the wind.

::::

The Straw-hat Pirates stayed the at the mansion at Luffy's and Afya's insistence. They couldn't help but laugh as the young girl clung to Sanji's jacket. They had spoken about her and her sister earlier over dinner. She had rarely met anyone outside of the mansion other than the occasional pirate that Aira brought to her. Partially due to her sister's insistence, she had honestly believed she was doing good for the pirates that she "healed". After dinner, Chopper had been showing her some simple remedies for basic illnesses at her request. When questioned as to her intentions, Afya had smiled at them.

"I want to become a real doctor like Doctor Chopper!"

Chopper did his "happy dance" while yelling "That doesn't make me happy!"

Sanji, at that point, decided to ask the question that was on everyone's mind. "Afya."

She turned to Sanji, smiling. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Can you heal Zoro's eyes?"

Her smile vanished. "No." She told him bluntly. "I can take his scars, but I can't take what's gone."

The crew nodded in understanding. They had expected an answer like that. She looked at them sadly. "I'm sorry..."

She started crying again. Sanji hastened to reassure her that it was alright.

::::

Robin, for her part, was glad they had stayed, as there were several interesting artifacts in the mansion, which she investigated along with Zoro. After the incident in the dungeons, she had unofficially become his guide. At first, he had argued against it. However, after Nami "discussed" it with him at length, including a threat involving locking him in a room to prevent him from getting lost, he agreed to go. Sanji and Usopp agreed that it was a rather odd sight, seeing the raven-haired archeologist toting the swordsman behind her.

And so it was that the two of them were in one of the hallways examining a statue. More precisely, Robin was examining it, Zoro was sitting on the floor next to it. His cloudy eyes were impassive, his mind lost in thought. Robin finished with her examination and took Zoro's hand to lead him on to the next artifact. He, however, didn't move. "Robin."

His deep voice and refusal to move caused her to turn to him.

"Yes, Zoro?" she replied quietly.

"You know I only came because Nami forced me to, right?"

"Of course."

::::

Some time later, once Zoro and Robin had returned, the Straw-Hat pirates began to load up their ship. The townspeople were somewhat surprised when they saw Afya, as no-one had even heard of her. She, however, ignored them and held Sanji's jacket tightly, chattering excitedly. Luffy and Chopper were just as upbeat. After much discussion, they had agreed to have Afya take the scars that were over Zoro's eyes. They didn't want him to scare people any more than he already did. Now, as they were loading food supplies, Robin was still leading Zoro while he lifted several baskets onto the ship, which surprised Nami. She had figured that he would go off on his own as soon as he was able. "Oi, Nami!" Luffy yelled to the navigator, who replied with a rather irate "What?"

Her annoyance melted as soon as she saw what Luffy was drawing her attention to. Piles among piles of gold and jewels sat on the deck, and Afya stood by, smiling. "For the trouble I caused." She explained. "This was from our lower room, which I don't think we need. So, I'm going to give it to you."

Nami's mouth hung open, absolutely speechless. Luffy and Sanji were in awe of the food supplies that she had given them. For once, the deck was silent. Usopp and Chopper were reveling in the miscellaneous other supplies that Afya had supplied, including some small weapons and several medicinal herbs.

Everyone was too lost in their individual pieces of heaven to notice that Zoro and Robin were strangely absent.

::::

When it came time for them to leave, the townspeople gathered to see them off. Afya was reluctant to release Sanji, much to Nami's amusement. Eventually, she did let go of him, and he was quickly up on board the ship. They all looked at the crowd assembled there, laughing at how the people looked at the pirates with admiration in their eyes. Afya waved to the leaving pirates, yelling to them to come back soon, and flirting with Sanji, who retreated into the kitchen, leading to several sarcastic comments from Zoro and an equal amount of comebacks from the cook. Soon, another full-fledged fight had erupted, leaving the non-combatants stunned. "He's fighting with Sanji. And winning!" Luffy yelled, only to get kicked by a rather indignant Sanji, who yelled "HE IS NOT WINNING!" before returning to his fight against the smirking, blind marimo.

::00::

A/N:

Sorry this chapter took so long! That stupid thing called life decided to show itself again and I was having trouble finding time to write this. One or two more chapters to close things up.

I have a challenge for all my readers! Aira and Afya were not originally going to be the Straw-Hat's opponents! Originally, it was going to be a canon character. Can anyone guess who? I'll write a little drabble for anyone who gets it right.

Anyhow, onto reader reviews.

Vivi chu-ie:

I try to go against expectations. xD It's so much more fun. :D Glad you liked it!

Red Voident Dragon:

Sometimes it's nice, but sometimes it's annoying because I have whole scenes planned out and then I have to go change everything.

Afya did end up being clingy. Poor girl, she kind of scared Sanji. XD

BrindyB:

Glad to live up to expectations! :D

Tare-Chan:

I'm glad you thought the fight was good!

I'll probably be revising everything once I finish the story, slow it down, fix a few errors, etc. Quite honestly, I was in a bit of a rush to get that chapter done, and I'm not quite pleased with how it came out either. That one is going to get serious editing.

Scioneeris:

Wheee! Cliffhangers are my favorites. X3 Glad you like it.

~Jello


	12. Secrets never told

At first, they didn't understand why Zoro had just stopped napping. When questioned, he would tell them that he wanted to, but he just couldn't fall asleep. Eventually, of course, Robin figured it out. After some research, she had deduced what the healing process must have been. She tried to explain it to the group. "She would take what she had been led to believe as some of the 'symptoms' of being a pirate, which would be basically anything that she saw as a bad habit. When healing Zoro," She continued, despite only Nami and Zoro still listening, "Afya took his some of his lazy nature, making it very difficult for him to nap."

She continued to explain further, saying how the habit was still ingrained in his mind, thus he wanted to sleep, but unless his body was actually tired, he would be more-or-less unable to sleep.

It had irritated him at first, but he gradually managed to find other things to do with his time. His new favorite pastime was sitting next to Robin and listening to a story, or simply having her lead him around at random. Everyone was somewhat amazed that he didn't seem to mind her as a guide anymore. Robin, for her part, simply smiled at her confused crew mates. That conversation between Zoro and herself... Well, there were some secrets that were not to be told.

::::

Robin stood on the deck that night, waiting for Zoro. His eyes had begun to heal, so Chopper insisted on checking on him often. She smiled as she thought about it. Zoro had never liked checkups. She made a mental bet with herself as to how many times he would try to get out of it. _Seven seems like a _

_good number. _She decided. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Zoro there, grinning. She

pulled him in closer and kissed him softly. "Well? How did it go?"

Zoro chuckled. "Chopper said that if all goes well, I should be able to see decently enough in about a month."

"That's good."

She kissed him again.

Neither one would ever know that two very sneaky pairs of eyes were watching them the entire time.

::::

"_Robin, you know that I only came because Nami told me to, right?"_

"_Of course."_

_There was a long pause._

"_Now, though..." Zoro paused again. Was he blushing?_

"_I don't think I mind so much."_

_He had pulled her closer, surprisingly gentle for one so strong._

_He kissed her._

"_Stay with me, Robin." He asked her, an unfamiliar begging look in his eyes. "Please."_

_She ran a hand down his cheek, and smiled._

"_Of course."_

::00::

A/N:

Short. Yes. I just wanted to write fluff. Cheesy fluff, at that. Zoro fluff is hard to write. Graaahhhh...

One more chapter or so, maybe two.

In other news... The answer to the question last time was Perona!

Question this time: Should I add a bonus chapter after I finish the story with excerpts of what might have happened, more descriptions of Afya/Aira, Q/A, etc?

Review Corner!

BrindyB:

Yay! I'm glad I made you happy. And Robin being Zoro's guide was one thing that has stayed throughout the whole thing. And since you were right on Perona, you get to pick what the first of my soon-to-be drabble collection is about! Just give me a prompt, a pairing, anything. I'll do my best! ;)

Vivi chu-ie:

Well, it is ending soon. But, I will be revising it. And I'll have more stories! I promise! :D

His eyes are healing, just slowly.

There are a lot of characters, that doesn't mean you're not smart. I'm sure you're quite bright.

ForbiddenLeo:

I hope that this chapter clears things up. :D I'm glad you like it!


	13. A little present

Zoro's eyes were healing. It was slow, but he soon began to be able to see blurred shapes, then a little bit of color. He seemed happy, so Robin was happy. One day, Chopper ran up to Zoro, who had been sitting with Robin against the side of the ship, with a small, wrapped package. They had just docked, so Chopper must have bought something for him. At this point, his vision was incredibly blurry, but he could see.

In a loose definition of the word.

He took the package, unwrapping it slowly. He found the gift inside to be in another box, this one long and somewhat thin. He ran his hands over it until he found a latch to open it with. He picked up the gift inside, trying to figure out what it was. Robin giggled at the look on his face when he figured it out.

It was a pair of glasses. Chopper took them from him and put them on him. He blinked several times. He looked at Chopper. He gave the slightest bit of a grin, almost imperceptible to those that didn't know him. Then Chopper put on his "doctor face" as Luffy called it. "Wear them, Zoro! Don't loose them or break them, okay? I'll be checking that you're wearing them!"

"Yeah, yeah." Zoro told the little doctor, trying to decide whether or not to listen to him.

Luffy picked that moment to come by.

"Zoro? Why are you wearing glasses?"

Chopper sighed. "They help him see, Luffy."

Luffy's face lit up. "So, can you see me now?"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can."

"So you can play with me now?"

Thankfully, Robin stepped in to save him.

"Actually, I need him for something important in the library. Sorry, Captain-San."

Luffy pouted, but he walked away, yelling for Usopp to come play with him.

Zoro stood up with Robin and they made their way to the library. Everything looked spotless, as usual. "So." Zoro asked, not sure of her thoughts yet. "What did you need me for? Everything looks normal here."

She smiled in a way that at one point would have sent shivers down his spine. "I need you for something more important than books." She pulled him over to her, pushing him against the wall. "I just need _you_."

Her lips locked onto his. He grinned. This day was getting more interesting by the minute.

::::

Nobody saw the two until dinnertime.

They had been late, and as such questioned by the rest of the crew.

"I was simply showing Swordsman-San some things in the library."

Usopp and Chopper exchanged a knowing glance, which was not lost on Zoro. He glared at the two of them, before whispering something to Luffy. The rubber boy looked like he was in definite agreement with whatever he had said. They screamed in surprise when Luffy rocketed himself across the table and grabbed at their food. Zoro gave a cocky grin as the cook yelled at him for letting Luffy do that. Zoro just leaned back and justified himself, throwing in an "ero-cook" for good measure. Sanji's eye twitched.

"Marimo-head."

"Curly-brow."

As a new fight erupted after Sanji decided to point out Zoro's new glasses, Robin just smiled. Everything was back to how it had been before.

Well,_ almost_ everything, she corrected herself.

She had gained something more precious that could ever have hoped.

That, and Zoro would be wearing those glasses for a few months more.

::oo::

A/N:

Another short, fluffy chapter! I hope nobody chokes on the over-fluffyness of the last two chapters... I've had most of this planned out since the beginning, actually. Especially the glasses for Zoro.

And, ironically enough, as I was writing this, my music player brought up the song "Eyes of Zoro".

And, by unanimous vote, we will have a bonus chapter! Ask me anything you want and as much as you like! I'll have a Q & A section in it. Unless your question gets answered elsewhere, I'll answer anything.

Review Corner!

BrindyB:

YAY! I love Chopper/Zoro nakamaship! Especially cute nakamaship! I'll get on that hopefully soon.

Red Voident Dragon:

Cute fluff is fluffy. XD Yeah, I'm kinda sad to see it end too, but all good things must come to an end. This'll free up time for me to do other things. ^^;

Vivi chu-ie:

I love replying. XD ZoroxRobin is probably my favorite pairing right after UsoppxKaya. And I couldn't leave him blind. Not when there's an opportunity to stick Zoro in a pair of glasses! XD He's just fun to mess with like that.


	14. Bonus Chapter

BONUS CHAPTER:

1: Dead ideas/alternate endings.

A: Zoro runs away

–-

(_Shortly after the Strawhat crew docks)_

–_-_

It was dark when they docked. Not that it mattered, since Zoro couldn't see one way or another. Moving stealthily as a newly-blind man could, he searched for his swords. A sad smile touched his face when he found them. His expression darkened again when he pictured his crewmates' faces. "Sorry, Luffy." He whispered, though he knew the rubbery captain would never hear him. "I guess the Pirate King will have to find a new swordsman."

The next day, everyone woke up bright and early. Planning began with breakfast. Everyone knew that Zoro liked to sleep in, so they decided to fill him in later. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper chattered excitedly in a corner about what they might find, while Robin, Nami and Sanji made actual plans. They made their supply lists and paired everyone up quickly. Once they were done, Chopper left to go fetch the swordsman. Soon, they heard the quick pattering of the little doctor's hooves on the wood. His distress was evident on his face. He managed stuttered out "H-he...He's gone! Zoro's... Gone!"

–-

(_After some searching a la chpt. 5, and Robin going on a walk)_

–_-_

As she walked, she took in the gentle sounds of the wind against the grass. Soon, however, another sound broke the peace. She paused and listened closer to identify the noise. It was the sound of steel on wood. It was not an unfamiliar sound, she had often heard it when watching Zoro. Putting the pieces together, she decided there was a very good chance it was him. She moved towards the sound, hoping to find him. After several minutes, she found the green-haired man in a clearing. He had long since discarded the bandages on his eyes, and they now laid in a heap off to the side. He was using santōryu, holding his precious white sword in his mouth. She began to call out to him, but she then saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of rage and frustration, nearly feral in its ferociousness. The look didn't disappear until the tree in front of him was jut splinters. He leaned back, exhaustion peeking though.

"Damn it..." She heard him curse under his breath. She nearly jumped when the man in front of her let out a roar and went at the tree again, no rhyme or reason to his usually coordinated attacks. There was only simple, unrestrained fury. After what seemed like far too long, he collapsed into the splinters. Several were most likely working their way into his skin, but he didn't seem to care.

"Damn it." He swore again.

Robin decided it was now or never.

"Swordsman-san, are you alright?"

He jumped at her voice, though that was the only outward sign that he heard her.

It was several long moments before he replied.

"What do you want?"

His voice was rough, and would likely have frightened most people.

"I came looking for you."

He huffed. "I still don't need you."

"Does it matter?"

Silence decended on the clearing. Finally, Robin decided to speak again.

"It doesn't matter, because _we_ need _you_."

–-

A/N: Well, there's some of that. Didn't go this way because it got too difficult after a while to figure out where it was going. This had been the original idea, though.

–-

B: Perona

–-

(_After Zoro wakes in his cell)_

–-

He never heard her coming. All of a sudden, there she was. She had one of the strangest giggles he had ever heard, and it annoyed him. He had no time to dwell on that, however, as she began talking to him.

"Do you like being a pirate?"

The question caught him by surprise. He had been expecting the normal interrogation, about his crew and whatnot. He recovered quickly, though, and shrugged. "It's pretty nice."

The woman was quiet for a few moments as she contemplated his answer.

"So, now just think about your pirate friends for me, 'kay?"

He shrugged and did so. No harm in thinking.

He barely heard her as she yelled "Negative Hollow!"

All of a sudden, for some reason, he couldn't help but think badly of his comrades. He wasn't sure why. His head filled with the worst memories and traits of all of them. "What is this?" He managed to growl.

She laughed. "You'll figure it out eventually."

–-

A/N: That's how it would have gone if it had been Perona instead of the sisters. I was seriously going to go with this before I thought of those two.

–-

C: Permanently Blinded

–-

(_Re-write of chpts. 12/13_)

–-

Robin stood on the deck that night, waiting for Zoro. Chopper believed his eyes had begun to heal, so the doctor insisted on checking on him often. She smiled as she thought about it. Zoro had never liked checkups. She made a mental bet with herself as to how many times he would try to get out of it. _Seven seems like a __good number. _She decided. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Zoro there, grinning. She pulled him in closer and kissed him softly. "Well? How did it go?"

He shook his head gently and kissed her. "Chopper said that it's still unlikely that my eyes will heal. I don't think that I'll see any time soon."

She looked at him, studying his face. There was none of the sadness or frustration that had been there before docking.

"Are you staring at me?"

She blinked in surprise at his question.

"How did you..."

"I dunno, I just felt like you were looking at me."

She smiled. "You've gotten more perceptive, I think."

He was pensive for several moments.

"I guess so. It's gotten so that I can hear really well and identify those noises."

"Would you feel comfortable training yet?"

Again, Zoro had to think about it. "Maybe. I wouldn't mind trying it."

Something was placed in his hands. He recognized the feel of Wado Ichimonji's sheath. He grinned. "Alright, alright."

He pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"Want to come?"

–-

A/N: Requested on deviantArt. :D It was fun to write, but I'm not too happy with it. I might revisit this later.

–-

D: Zoro and Sanji nakamaship

–-

_(Replacement of chapter 3/ new chapter idea)_

–_-_

He was frustrated. Sanji made no attempt to hide it as he ground his cigarette between his teeth. His best source of release was out of commission. He hadn't had a good fight since Zoro had been blinded, and it was starting to get to him.

He couldn't take much more about this.

Finally, he waited one night when he was on watch until he and Zoro were the only people left on deck. Taking a long drag of his cigarette, Sanji sauntered over to Zoro, who was on his way to bed. "Oi, Marimo."

Zoro turned in his general direction. "What, curly-brow?" He growled at the cook. It appeared that his nerves were frayed as well.

Sanji pressed on, unaffected by the swordsman's gruff tone.

"Fight me."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Chopper would kill you if he knew you said that."

"Do you think I give a damn?"

Zoro grinned. "Neither do I. Let's go."

The two began slowly, getting into a familiar rhythm, speeding up slowly. Sanji began to grin to himself. As the two sped up, He began to work on instinct, his movements a blur. However, this single-minded focus kept him from noticing that Zoro's movements could no longer keep up, and he was struggling to block everything. He only became aware of this fact when he felt his dress shoe connect with the swordsman's head, sending the green-haired man reeling. He was soon back in, though, and continued to fight. Blow for blow, the two were well matched for several minutes. That is, until Sanji's foot hit Zoro's arm. There was a nasty crack and Zoro dropped his swords, clutching his arm. He hissed in pain and cursed under his breath. Sanji ran to Zoro, also cursing. "Damn. Sorry, Zoro." The cook poked Zoro's arm experimentally, and the swordsman hissed again. "Dammit. I'll have to go and get Chopper. Stay here."

Sanji ran to the boys' bedroom. The little doctor was sleeping peacefully. Sanji hesitated to wake him up. However, recalling that there was an injured swordsman back on deck, he did so anyways. "Chopper. Chopper! Wake up!" The urgency was evident in his voice.

The reindeer rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Wha? Sanji? Wha's goin' on?"

Sanji pulled him out of bed. "Zoro's arm is hurt. I think it might be broken."

That got Chopper up. Grabbing his bag, Chopper was out the door almost as fast as Sanji. Zoro was still sitting there when the duo arrived, though he had managed to put his swords into his sheaths.

Chopper poked Zoro's arm. The older boy hissed. "Stop doing that!"

Chopper gave Sanji a look. Sanji just shrugged.

"It's me, Zoro. Chopper. I'm going to work on your arm. I think Sanji was right, it might be broken." Chopper kept babbling as he worked, Zoro hissing in pain whenever Chopper poked his arm. Sanji sat off to the side in uncomfortable silence, lost in thought. _He wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren't for __me...I shouldn't have asked him for a fight while he was blinded! _Sanji clenched his teeth around his cigarette. _Dammit, I'm so stupid... _"Sanji?" He jerked to attention as Chopper called his name. There was worry on his face. "Sanji, are you okay? I've benn calling your name..."

He waved Chopper off. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. How's Zoro?"

Chopper looked pretty happy. "He's fine. Just a fracture. He won't be able to use it for a while, but it'll heal fine. I'm going to go to bed. The two of you should also."

Sanji nodded. "Sounds good to me."

He walked over to Zoro and helped him up. "Sorry." He murmured.

Zoro looked almost offended. "Moron."

Sanji was tempted to kick him again, but then he continued.

"I know you wouldn't have done it on purpose."

Sanji grinned despite himself.

–-

A/N: Okay, I'll admit, The only thing I had here was the general idea. I totally made this up. ^^;

–-

2: Profiles and Layouts

–-

A: Aira

–-

Age: 19

The older of two sisters. She controls the air with her devil fruit, the Kaze Kaze no Mi. She is somewhat sadistic and oriented on avenging her parents, who were killed in a pirate raid when she was 5. She was raised by her grandmother, though she was very independent. She is also slightly paranoid. She catches pirates for her sister to "heal". She has several drugs that she can administer through a needle in her ring on her right hand. After being locked in her room on the third with no escape, she attempted to jump to the ground through the window. Her fate is unknown. Her name means "Of the wind" and is American in origin.

–-

A/N: Personality-wise, she's the crazy one. Frankly, I think she's more or less insane. There's no doubt that out of the two she's the evil one. Okay, time to stop being redundant. .

B: Afya

–-

Age: 15

The younger of the two sisters. She is incredibly innocent and naïve, but she is also distrustful of people outside of the mansion. She is also somewhat disorganized. She trusts her sister, as they grew up basically alone with their grandmother. She has the Toru Toru no Mi, allowing her to take anything she wants from a person with the use of a special needle. This needle is located in a ring on her left hand. She uses her power to "heal" pirates. This is a process that involves removing all of a person's bad habits one at a time. After it was revealed that Aira was lying to her, she turned to the nearest person, Sanji. She has developed a liking of him, and was very clingy to him until he left. She is currently in training to become a doctor. Her name actually means "Health". It's African in origin.

–-

A/N: She's actually a very nice girl. She honestly believed that she was helping people.

–-

C: The Mansion

–-

It is a three story building that has a rather Gothic design. There is also a basement. The top floor is just a long hallway with three bedrooms: Aira's, Afya's, and the master bedroom. Aira was lying to them when she stated that the top floor held only her father's room, in order to keep the straw-hats from looking. The master bedroom has been converted into a sort of lab for Aira and Afya's healing process. There are also several large closets where Aira keeps the things that Afya has taken, such as the bloodlust used on Zoro.

The second floor holds several empty rooms. The only room of any importance is another storage cupboard for Aira and Afya's stolen things.

The first floor is, of course, the main floor. There are few rooms, as everything is in the main central room. There are separate rooms for the kitchen and several closets, and there is a hallway leading to the stairs that go down to the basement.

The basement is basically a dungeon. It has four side-by-side cells, each with chains inside. The chains are a special metal that can hold the strongest of men. They are seastone laced as well.

–-

3: Healing process details

–-

A: Aira brings a pirate to Afya.

B: The pirate is held in the dungeons until their mental and physical state can be established, as well as any particularly bad traits.

C: The pirate is brought to the master bedroom and locked there.

D: Afya selects one trait to remove, and does so.

E: She places the stolen habit or personality in a glass tube, and it is given to Aira to organize.

F: The pirate is usually given between 6 and 12 hours to heal before the process is continued. It continues until the pirate is more-or-less tamed to the sister's approval.

G: Given enough time, a person will regain whatever personality traits they have lost. Thus, all of the "servants" in the mansion are given a "re-healing" every year.

–-

So, there you have it. No-one asked me anything, so there's no Q/A. If you think of something, feel free to ask and I can add it in. I hope this was interesting. Whoo, this was right about 9 and a half pages... Anywho! Enjoy!

~Jello


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